cause when the daylight bends, i'll follow you
by Live-Forever-Love-Always
Summary: Damon Salvatore is living the high single life until his brother and his wife are killed in an accident, leaving him in custody of their tiny daughter. What happens when he puts an ad in the paper for a nanny and Caroline Forbes answers? damon/caroline story adopted from abbyli
1. Chapter 1

a/n: **This story has been adopted from abbyli, this chapter and the next are hers. Chapter 3 onwards are my own. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of it's characters.**

It was so early in the morning when he got that phone call. That one awful phone call.

"Damon, it's your father. Stefan and Elena were in a car accident. They're dead."

And then the line went dead.

Damon had sat there for what seemed like ages, just staring at nothing. Then his phone rang again.

"Hello?"

"Damon? It's your mom."

Antonia Salvatore was the exact opposite of her ex-husband. She was kind, compassionate, and loving. Many people often noticed the similarities between looks between himself and his mother, both having the raven black hair, the pale skin, and the brilliant blue eyes. But Stefan was more like her in personality, so filled with compassion and love that it hurt.

"Hey, Mom."

"Damon, we need to talk about something."

* * *

Stefan and Elena had a daughter. A beautiful seven month old daughter named Celia Alexandra after Stefan's friend Lexi who had died a few years ago from cancer. Celia was the apple of their eye and had had her daddy wrapped around her little finger.

And apparently, Stefan and Elena had named a guardian for Celia if case anything had ever happened to them.

Damon slowly walked into the house, barely touching anything around him.

"Hey, baby."

His head shot up at the sound of his mother's voice. "Mom-" His voice suddenly broke and he inwardly cursed himself.

Suddenly, Antonia's arms were around him, pulling him close. "It's okay, darling. Let it out."

And let it out he did.

After nearly ten minutes of heavy weeping, Damon managed to pull himself together. He gently detangled himself from his mother's arms, scrubbing his hands across his face, trying to rid away any sign of tears.

"Damn it, I'm sorry."

Antonia shook her head, her still straight raven hair rippling around her. "Don't ever apologize to me, okay? Just don't."

"Thanks, Mom," he whispered, pressing a palm into his eyes. "How's Celia?"

"She's perfect," Antonia murmured. "She's upstairs."

There was a soft pang at his heart. Celia was never going to remember her parents. In ten years, twenty years, whenever anyone asked of her parents, she was just going to shrug and say 'they're dead'. She was never going to realize how much she looked like her mother or how she was just like her father.

Damon took a deep breath and slowly started up the stairs, heading to the nursery. He arrived at the yellow door that bore the sign 'Celia's Room' in bright gold bubble letters, his hand rested on the doorjamb.

"Damon, you don't have to. Not yet," came his mother's soft voice.

He glanced off to the side where his tiny mother had appeared. He shook his head, sighing quietly. "No, I have too."

And with that, he pushed in the door.

* * *

Celia had awoken. She was sitting up in her crib, her wide emerald eyes alert and filled with wonder and anticipation for the new day. Her soft downy dark brown hair stuck up in a disarray all over her head, giving her the appearance of a tousle haired puppy for a minute. He was almost expecting her to give a little bark.

She was the spitting image of Elena, right down to the cute little nose that stuck up at just the right angle. Everything about her screamed Elena. But when he looked into her eyes, he found himself seeing his brother once again. Even though she looked like her mother, she would always favor her father in more ways than one.

Without being able to help it, more tears blurred his vision. Damon leaned over the crib, allowing them to fall freely down his face and into her soft hair. He gently ran the palm of his hand over the top of her head, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"Hey, baby girl. Hey, honey," he murmured into her cheek.

Celia then reached out two chubby arms, wanting and needing to be picked up. She recognized the familiarity in him and knew that she was safe and warm and loved. He immediately obliged, gently scooping the baby up into his arms and holding her against his chest. She cuddled down, pressing her cheek against his chest, right up to the sound of his beating heart.

Damon turned carefully, his eyes finding his mother's. Antonia stood in the doorway of the nursery, her arms crossed against her front and tears in her eyes.

"I just don't know how I am going to do this."

* * *

The flight back to New York City seemed endless. Celia spent most of it asleep against her uncle's chest. Antonia didn't offer to fly back with them, but Damon asked her. Despite being twenty seven, Damon still needed his mother in times like this. Especially now.

They landed at JFK and managed to get a cab back to the townhouse where Damon lived. His apartment was pretty spacious and could handle having a baby living there. Of course, the nursery consisted of a crib and a changing table, barely anything else had been moved in because time was moving so damn quickly. He had a dresser and a rocking chair coming in the morning and lots of other things for little Celia.

The baby had gotten fussy on the cab ride, only calming down when Damon held her against his beating heart. She started to snuffle and sigh, breathing in his scent that could only remind her of one person. She missed her mommy and daddy.

Finally, she was sleeping peacefully in her new crib, tuckered out from the long day. Damon fell into a chair in the living room, the baby monitor resting on the table beside him.

"Are you going to be all right?" Antonia gently asked, her purse slung over her shoulder and her jacket resting on her arm.

Damon looked up at his mother and nodded. "Yeah, I think so. It's going to take some time."

"Are you sure you're okay for tonight?"

"Yeah, I am. Gotta get started now or I am never going to be able to do it."

Antonia chuckled sadly. "Ain't it the truth."

Damon sat up and embraced his mother, holding her tightly in his arms. He hadn't realized how quickly it was going by but now he had to say goodbye to her once again.

"I love you, Mom."

"Love you too, baby."

"Call me as soon as you get back home, all right?"

"You bet."

And then she was gone.

* * *

It was near midnight when Damon finally headed to bed, baby monitor clenched tightly in his hand. But when he went by the nursery, he froze at the doorway, unable to walk away.

Celia was on her back, her tiny little lips pursed and her chubby arms strewn up around her head. Even at the tender age of seven months, she had known what was going on. He could see those worried little looks she occasionally sent his way. He kept popping up and she wasn't seeing her mommy and daddy. What the hell else was she supposed to think?

Damon let out a weary sigh, feeling very young himself as he rubbed a palm into his eye, trying to push away any signs of tears.

He missed Stefan so much right now. Yeah, the two of them would snarl at each other constantly, but there was still so much love there.

Love.

It would have taken something like this for Damon Salvatore to admit that he loved his baby brother.

Damon let out another sigh before he moved into the nursery, lowering himself down onto the armchair that his mother had pulled in there earlier.

"Well, munchkin. I guess we're bunkmates tonight," he murmured in the baby's direction.

He just couldn't leave her. Not yet.

**- One more chapter by abbyli and then I continue with the story.**


	2. Chapter 2

a/n: **This story has been adopted from abbyli, this chapter and the previous are hers. Chapter 3 onwards are my own. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of it's characters.**

"Bwwah!"

Damon jumped awake. The baby monitor had roared to life beside his head, scaring him half out of his wits.

"Aw man," he moaned quietly, shucking the warm covers off of his legs and slowly rising to his feet. He stumbled awkwardly down the hallway and into the now fully furnished nursery.

Celia was sitting up in her crib, rubbing her tiny fists in her eyes as dime sized tears continued to stream down her face. Damon let out another small moan before scooping her up, planting a noisy kiss on her cheek.

"Celia-Belia, you're killing me," he murmured as he checked to see if she was dry. "What's going on, darling? Are you hungry?" Even at seven months, she seemed to understand a hell of a lot of what was going on.

He carried her into the kitchen, managing to get a bottle of formula going with one hand. Once the formula was finished, she reached out her arms for it, a look of panic on her adorable features.

"Okay, okay. Here you go!" he chuckled, popping it into her mouth. She gave a loud coo of satisfaction and settled back into the comfortable crook of his arms and continued to slurp.

Damon then shifted her carefully in his arms, gently carrying her out to the living room. He sank down into an armchair, leaning his head back.

"Ah, baby girl. What are we gonna do?" he whispered.

Celia didn't answer, just continued sucking away at the bottle.

* * *

"Yeah, sir. I know that this is the fourth time but I'm sorry. You do understand the situation I am going through?"

"Damon, I know. I do understand. But taking care of Celia is becoming your whole life. You do need to return to work sometime."

"What do you suggest, that I just bring her to work with me every day?" Damon shot back, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"There's no need for that tone, boy."

"Sorry, sir."

"Honestly though, how long has it been?" was his gentle voice.

Damon took a deep breath, his eyes falling on the seven month old happily rolling around in her playpen.

"It's been almost three weeks."

"You should really think about getting some help. A nanny or a babysitter to care for Celia during the day while you are work. Someone that you can trust so you won't worry about her while you are working."

"A nanny?" The thought was so foreign to him that it felt like a bad taste in his mouth. The only person he could ever really trust Celia with was his mother and his mother was three states away.

"There are lots of nanny agencies you can check into. Many that are highly regarded."

"Yeah, I'll look into it," Damon sighed before hanging up the phone.

Celia let out a bunch of babbly coos and clapped her hands on the side of the playpen. Damon watched her for a second before leaning down beside her.

"I really can't do this alone, can I?"

Celia let out another round of babbly coos and placed a tiny hand on top of Damon's. He lifted her itty-bitty fingers up and placed a kiss on them.

* * *

It had been almost a month since their deaths and Damon was ready to climb the walls. Celia was the one thing that was keeping him with his sanity but he was exhausted, grouchy, and snapping at anyone who came near.

"Darling, maybe you should think about your boss's offer. It's time," came his mother's soothing voice on the other end of the phone.

Damon sighed. "Mom, I just don't think I can be away from her for so long," he whispered.

"You would just be away during your work day. And Celia would be home with someone that could take care of her and love her oodles and oodles. Someone who you can trust. And when you come home, you can kick that person out and it would just be you two all over again."

Damon chuckled tiredly. "Maybe you're right."

"How hard has it been leaving her in daycare?" Antonia suddenly asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Day care. In a weird strange place that she is still not used too-blech, sorry. I'm putting a downside on it."

"No, it's fine. Um, it has been pretty hard. The last three times I have picked her up, she was very tired and very grouchy."

"Don't you see? A nanny would be the best thing."

"Stefan and Elena left her to me. They didn't want her taken care of by a nanny!" He protested meekly.

"Sweetheart, Stefan and Elena made that will right after Celia was born. They knew the risks they were taking having you become her sole guardian. Especially with your lifestyle."

"But why me? I still don't understand why me? What do I have to offer her? I mean, I love her dearly but my life is just too busy and screwed up right now. You get that, don't you?"

"Of course I do. And I don't know."

"I would have thought they would have left her with you or even Elena's brother Jeremy and his wife Anna. Not me."

"There's something in you, Damon that they liked. Jeez, Stefan trusted you more than anyone in this world. What did you expect?"

Damon let out another weary sigh. "Okay, okay. I get your point."

Antonia gave a warm chuckle. "I love you so much, baby."

"I love you too, Mom."

"And give that grandbaby a big kiss for me."

"I will."

* * *

"All right, what do you think of this one?" Damon held up a folder for the tot's inspection. "She's forty three. She has five grown children. Hispanic, been a housewife all of her life until her husband's shocking passing last year. Loves children. Hmm?"

Celia's eyes met his and she scrunched up her nose. Damon chuckled and tossed the folder away. "We'll talk to her, how about that?" He then reached for another folder, sliding the cover off. "Ooh, how about this one? Her name is Caroline Forbes. She's twenty five, been working as a nanny since she got out of high school. Trained as a paramedic so she knows all the works in case something happens. She volunteers at a library every Thursday and Friday and works with a children's group there, reading to them." His voice trailed off and he held the folder up for his niece's inspection. "Hmm?"

This time, Celia just gave an adorable little bunny rabbit sneeze.

Damon chuckled. "Okay, we've narrowed it done to the mother of all mothers, chocolate lady, and this Caroline chick. Whataya think?"

Celia then let out a loud burp.

"Haha! I think I am so in love with you, squirt," Damon leaned down and planted a light kiss on the tip of her nose. Celia giggled, leaning her head back. "'Kay, we'll see these ladies."

* * *

The doorbell rang for the fourth time that crazy afternoon. Damon grunted and wiped off his hands, pointing a finger at Celia. "Stay there, young lady," he said warningly. Celia was covered with sticky Cheerios and was wearing a big smile.

Damon had met with the other nanny choices. The first one who had been called 'Sandy' in the forms had turned out to be a guy. Damon tried his hardest to be polite but ended the interview quite quickly. The man did seem to be nice and quite good with Celia. Celia did like him. But he wasn't about to let a guy that he didn't know take care of his niece while he was gone for the day.

The mother of all mothers had showed up with two grandchildren attached to her hips. Well, that went right out the window…

And then after the mother of all mothers and well, grandmothers too, left, the mailman showed up with a package. Damon recognized it as a mobile that he had adored for Celia when she born and had taken all that time to get here.

* * *

Now it was the time for the last interview.

He opened the door to find a young blonde standing there, a warm smile crossing her lips and a bright dancing look in her eyes.

"Uh…hi?"

Smooth, Damon. Real smooth.

"Hello, are you Damon Salvatore?" the blonde asked, readjusting the strap of her bag over her shoulder.

"Yeah! Yeah, I am. You must be Caroline," Damon opened the door wider for her to enter.

"Yep. Nice to meet you." She stuck out a hand to which he shook.

"You too."

Stupid, Salvatore. Really stupid. Just get on with the interview!

His eyes raked over her petite form. She wasn't very tall, only about five feet, four inches at the very most. She was slight but looked quite physically fit. Her blond hair was pulled into a loose ponytail at the base of her neck, several loose strands hanging down elegantly around her face. She also wore a pair of blue jeans, white flats, a pink teeshirt covered by a white oversized button up man's shirt. In reality, she was probably the most beautiful creature he had seen in his entire life.

"Um, you will have to forgive me for acting like a lunatic," he quickly said, shaking himself out of it. "It's been a long day and Celia and I are both tired. It's amazing how many lunatics the nanny agency sends over."

"Are you saying I will be a lunatic?" she asked, giving him a small wink.

Damon chuckled and shook his head. "I hope not." Caroline then cast him a smile that made him go weak at the knees. "Come on, I'll introduce you to Celia."

He led her back into the kitchen where Celia was happily munching away on her now mushy cheerios, slapping her hands on the tray in front of her. Cereal was stuck in her hair and all over her face. There may have been one up stuck up her nose.

Caroline let out a small shout of laughter when she saw the baby girl. "Oh, my gosh! She's beautiful!"

Damon couldn't help the smile that crossed his lips. "She is, isn't she?"

"Um, we really didn't go into specifics over the phone, but is she your daughter?" Caroline asked, turning to face him.

Damon shook his head. "No, she's my niece. Her parents were killed in a car accident about a month ago and I was named her guardian."

"Oh, my…Damon, I'm so sorry."

He kind of liked the way she said his name.

"Yeah, well…"

Caroline immediately got the tone and dropped the subject. She slowly approached the baby who was smiling so happily in her direction. She quickly glanced over her shoulder. "Is it all right if I touch her?" she asked carefully.

Damon nodded. "Yeah."

Caroline touched the tip of her finger to Celia's rapidly growing bangs. She ran the back of her finger to down the edge of her soft dark brown hair, almost petting her. And Damon wondered if he was hearing things. Was Celia…purring?

"She likes you," he whispered.

"How can you tell that?" asked Caroline. As soon as the words left her mouth, Celia let her head rest against her arm.

"Well, by that!" Damon laughed.

Caroline chuckled too, throwing caution to the wind and scooping Celia out of her high chair. The baby then threw her arms around the blonde's neck in a choking hug.

Damon then leaned back against the counter, his arms crossed in front of his chest. Caroline continued to interact with the baby, tickling her tummy and playing with her rapidly growing hair. Celia just laughed and giggling and swatted at Caroline's hands.

As he watched this sight in front of him, more pain pooled in his belly. The way that Celia was reacting to Caroline's soft touches and her words, it made him finally realize how much Celia needed a maternal figure in her life. Even at that age, she knew what was going on and missed her mommy and daddy so much.

Celia was so much like Stefan. With every movement and every interaction with other people, even with people that she didn't like, she reminded him of his brother. She had that same way of crinkling her forehead when she was perplexed or worried. The same way her eyes extenuated these laugh lines whenever she had that big toothless smile. Her happiness…

He knew then that he had found someone that he could trust with this miracle.

**- OK so now I continue the story with my chapters. I will be posting chapter 3 in the next couple of days.**


	3. Chapter 3

**cause when the daylight bends, I'll follow you**

**This story has been adopted from abbyli, this chapter onwards belong to me.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of it's characters.**

After saying goodbye to Caroline, Damon returned to where Celia was sitting in her highchair. She had the biggest pout on her face, Damon chuckled and ruffled her hair.

"Don't worry squirt, she'll be back and you guys will play and cuddle and stuff".

He noticed how she seemed to brighten at his words as if she understood. He picked her up and whilst walking with her to the living room her found himself thinking about how Caroline and Celia had interacted with one another. He felt a smile tug at the corner of his lips and found himself thinking for the second time that day that she really needed a maternal figure to be there for her.

* * *

Later that night after he had put Celia to bed he heard his phone ringing. He quickly glanced at the caller I.D. before answering.

"Hi mom"

"Hi honey, how are my darling grandbaby and son doing?"

Damon chuckled lightly "We're fine mom, we even found a nanny for Celia today".

"You did?...That's wonderful darling. How is she with Celia?"

"She's great mom. Her name is Caroline and Celia practically purred when Caroline pushed her hair to the side of her face and gave her a huge hug" he said whilst laughing a little.

Antonia laughed at the lightness of her son's voice and found herself smiling at the sound of her son's laughter, which she had not heard in a long time. "That sounds adorable, I'm glad that Celia seems to like her so much – it seems like a perfect match…Is she aware of the situation?"

"She is, I told her this afternoon".

Antonia heard the change in her son's voice – the lightness that was there a minute ago was gone and she found herself immediately regretting the question. She hated hearing her son in pain.

"So when does this Caroline start?" she asked trying to move the conversation away from the area she had almost dragged it into.

"huh?...Oh she starts on Monday. You know what mom, I'm pretty tired so I think I'm going to go to bed".

"Ok honey, I love you. Give Celia hugs and kisses for me"

"Will do, I love you too. Night"

"Goodnight baby".

Damon hung up the phone and found himself reminiscing over happier times when his brother and Elena were still alive. A tear slid down his cheek. He missed them so much! When he had heard about the accident, he had felt his heart shatter and every time he thinks of them he feels it break just a little bit more. Just thinking about the fact that Celia would never know Stefan and Elena caused him to gasp in pain. He didn't understand why such bad things happened to good people, his brother and sister in law didn't deserve to die. They were good people and had hardly lived – had hardly gotten to know their baby and now they never would. He felt more tears make their way down his face. He would never have admitted it when they were alive but Damon loved his brother more than anything in the world and it killed him that he never told Stefan.

He looked up and made a silent promise. He would prove that Stefan and Elena putting Celia in his care was the right thing to do. He liked to think that Stefan and Elena were watching over him and Celia and could understand his promise.

"I miss you brother"

Another tear made its way down his face before he hastily wiped at his face, took a swig of scotch and made his way to bed.

* * *

The next morning Caroline sat at the breakfast bar, with her coffee , watching Matt who was busy pacing back and forth.

"But Care, how much do you really know about this guy? He could be be…. I don't know…someone dangerous or something"

Matt looked at Caroline with concern etched across his face.

"Matt! His brother died, like a month ago. He is now caring for his niece on his own. He needs help, and I could be the one to do that. Do you really think someone would leave him a child if he really was dangerous? Besides aren't you always the one that has to find the best in people? Where'd that guy go? He would show me support."

Matt sighed at the slightly pissed off blonde across from him.

"I'm sorry, I just want you to be careful. This is New York after all and there are a hell of a lot of weirdos out there."

"Oh quit bugging Caroline. She can take care of herself – she is a big girl after all."

Matt turned to look at his girlfriend, who had just entered the room, with a look of annoyance. But before he could say anything he was interrupted by a triumphant looking Caroline.

"I agree with Bekah. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I…"

Rebekah gave her a sharp look before cutting her off. "Before you go and get all smug, he does have a point. You do need to be careful."

Caroline rolled her eyes "Ok mom, dad" she said looking at each of them in turn before starting to make her way out of the room.

Matt sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Don't be like that. I care about you and wouldn't be able to forgive myself if anything happens to you."

Caroline's expression softened and she went over to him to give him a hug. " I care about you too. You're my best friend and I love you. I promise to be careful and if I need you I will make sure to call, Ok?"

Matt smiled at her words and nodded.

"Hey! What about me?" Rebekah asked indignantly.

Caroline laughed at the other blond "Get over her, you big dork".

"I am not a dork!"

"I'm just teasing Beks, chill. But I love you too".

"Hmmph" was the response Caroline received.

Matt just laughed at the two blondes in his arms. "You are both big dorks, but I love you anyway and wouldn't want that to change". He gave Caroline a kiss on the forehead and Rebekah and quick kiss on the lips before telling the both that he had to get into work and left the two alone.

Rebekah looked at Caroline "So is this Damon guy hot then?"

Caroline laughed "And with that I'm going to have a shower and get dressed".

"That's a yes then". Rebekah said as Caroline left the room.

"Goodbye Rebekah" was the muffled reply from the closed door.

**Ok, so next chapter will be Caroline's first day with Celia and there will be some Damon/Caroline interaction.**

**What did you guys think of this one? Constructive criticism please. **


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